Meet me one-to-one to settle defamation suit, Ling tells Najib

Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik wants a one-to-one meeting with the prime minister over his defamation suit. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Wong Tuck Keong, January 28, 2016.

Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, who is sued for defamation by Datuk Seri Najib Razak, says he will only agree to a mediation process to settle the suit if it is carried out on a "one-to-one" basis to avoid dragging the case any further.

The former MCA president added that the parties concerned should not bother starting discussions if it was not going to be based on truth and transparency.

"Our lawyers are now negotiating whether to mediate or not. If mediate, it must be one to one.

"Or else, whole life it will be a case of referring back for instructions. Wasting his time and wasting my time," Ling said in Kampar today after meeting 57 scholarship recipients of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman.

On the attorney-general's decision not to charge Najib with any criminal offence over the RM2.6 billion political donation due to insufficient evidence, Ling said that had no connection to the civil proceedings between him and the Umno president.

"That is a separate issue. Ours is a civil case."

In an earlier report, Ling had said he was agreeable to settling the suit on the condition that the prime minister was present.

Najib filed the suit in October last year after Ling said the prime minister was unfit to lead Malaysia after receiving some RM2.6 billion, as reported by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

In his defence, Ling said the Umno president had failed to disclose the identity of the donor, the source of the funds and how it was utilised.

He said Najib had admitted to receiving the money as a donation but had not channelled the money to Umno's accounts.

In his counter-suit, Ling said Najib abused the court process and did not pursue any action against others, including Umno leaders who had repeatedly criticised his conduct and integrity on various occasions.

WSJ had reported that US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) was transferred into Najib's personal bank accounts, the largest portion of which was moved two months before the May 2013 general election.

On Tuesday, Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali said there was “insufficient evidence” to implicate the prime minister after six months of investigations into the RM2.6 billion donation and into Finance Ministry-owned firm, SRC International Sdn Bhd.

"I hereby order the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) to close the investigation papers,” Apandi said.

- TMI